


Beginning, Middle, and End

by CatrinaSL



Series: Three Things [156]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Boss/Employee Relationship, F/M, Glow-in-the-Dark Beads, Slow Build, Three Things, lotion, scissors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-22 19:34:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14315676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatrinaSL/pseuds/CatrinaSL
Summary: Pepper slowly begins to appreciate the CEO's son. And then one day, he's gone.





	Beginning, Middle, and End

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FiberBard](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FiberBard/gifts).



> FiberBard prompted Scissors, glow in the dark beads, bottle of lotion.

It started in the copy room, with the scissors.

"Oh! Excuse me; I'm sorry!" Pepper yanked her hand away from the CEO's son as though accidentally touching his hand had burned her.

"No, please," Loki replied, gesturing at the utensil.

"Are you sure?" Pepper asked.

Loki nodded, so Pepper picked up the scissors and finished her task as quickly as possible to make sure that he wouldn't have to wait.

"Thank you," he said, smiling at her politely.

"You're welcome," Pepper rushed out, then exited the room quickly so that he wouldn't see her blushing.

* * *

Then it was her lotion.

Pepper tossed the empty bottle in the recycling bin and leaned over the cubicle wall to complain to her neighbor that she was out again, but she never meant for Loki to overhear. He was a few cubes over, talking to the office manager.

All she knew was that when she got to work the following morning, there was a new bottle of lotion on her desk with a green ribbon tied around it. (The exact brand she used, too!)

And when she saw Loki in the staff meeting later that afternoon, he smiled at her.

* * *

Finally, it was the glow-in-the-dark beads.

Pepper was sick over St. Patrick's Day, and by the time she returned to work, all the decorations had been taken down and everyone had begun to get ready for Easter.

It was too bad; Pepper loved the festivities, the food, and even the ridiculous gaudy jewelry.

There was a mountain of work to get back to, so Pepper pushed her disappointment out of her mind and started sorting through the things that had piled up while she was out of the office.

At the bottom of one stack of papers was a small bracelet with green beads. An attached tag told Pepper that the beads would glow in the dark, and a post-it note under the bracelet told Pepper that they were placed there by Loki.

_ Saved you these. Enjoy! —LF _

Pepper smiled and removed the tag before slipping them onto her wrist.

She kept the post-it.

* * *

Pepper meant to thank Loki the next time she saw him.

The only thing was, she didn't see him. Loki stopped by the office often enough that Pepper was sure to run into him at least once per week, but a week went by, then two. Then three.

She overheard a few people talking about how both Frigga's sons had been sent to oversee Midgard Inc, one of FriggaCo's subsidiaries. Apparently the older one had done something to upset his father, and Loki had gone into exile along with him to make sure he didn't get into any trouble.

Pepper admired Loki's willingness to help his brother, but she was disappointed that she wasn't going to be able to see him again—to thank him for everything he had done for her, of course.

She was so disappointed, in fact, that she found herself still at her desk two hours after quitting time, staring at a blank email with Loki's address in the "To:" section and "Thank you" in the subject line.

Pepper deleted the draft (an hour and a half later) after deciding that there was no reason for her to go so far for some lotion, a string of beads, and a smile.

No reason at all.

* * *

It wasn't until her co-workers had thrown her a party (with a cake that read "WE'LL MISS YOU") and she had finished her exit interview that Pepper saw Loki again.

"Oh!" she gasped, and nearly dropped the box containing the contents of her desk.

Loki looked nearly as surprised to see her as she was to see him, but he reached out to steady the box with one hand while he held the elevator doors open with the other.

"Thank you," Pepper said, fighting down a blush. He looked well. His hair had grown longer; it looked good on him.

"You're welcome," he replied quietly. "I was... sorry to hear that you're leaving us."

"Yes," Pepper nodded. "It's nothing to do with FriggaCo; I loved working here, but leaving is a good career move for me right now."

"I understand," Loki said.

"I'm glad you're here."

He raised both eyebrows in interest, and Pepper rushed to explain.

"I mean, I... I'm glad to have been able to see you before I left. I wanted to thank you for... your kindness. But you left before I had the chance, so..."

"Ah, yes," Loki said. "My brother was glad to have my help at Midgard. He's doing well; the trip was very beneficial to him. Our parents were right to send us."

"Are you?" Pepper asked as the elevator came to a stop. "Doing well."

"I am," Loki replied, smiling slightly as he exited the elevator along with her. 

Pepper paused; she wasn't quite sure what to say to someone you weren't likely to see again but hoped that you might. "Goodbye" seemed too abrupt, but asking him out to dinner seemed too forward.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, and then Loki said, "Could I walk you to your car?"

"Oh, yes, uh... thank you."

Loki held out his arms to take the box from Pepper, and she blushed when their fingers touched.

"Lead the way."

She nodded and pointed in the direction her car was parked, and Loki walked alongside her as the click of her heels echoed on the pavement.

"You kept the post-it," he said, and Pepper's eyes widened in embarrassment when she saw him looking into the box. 

"Well, I..." she floundered. "I wanted to remind myself to thank you; I really appreciated the thought... I mean, you didn't have to—"

"I was going to say that I was sad to see you go for the company's sake," Loki interrupted. "But glad for my own sake."

"Glad... for your own sake?" Pepper repeated, confused.

"Well, yes," Loki told her, waiting as she unlocked her car. He bent down to set the box in her trunk and stood, leaning against the bumper. "It seemed unprofessional to ask you if you might like to get a drink while I had any kind of power to get you fired."

“A drink?” Pepper smiled. "I... think I might like that."

Loki smiled back. "I hoped you might."

* * *

It was a year and a day after they both reached for the scissors that Loki walked Pepper home after their first date. Their fingers were laced together, and they both walked slowly as though neither wanted the night to end.

But all nights have to end, and theirs did, eventually.

And it ended with a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> [Prompt a Three Things fic!](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7S2MbkK0CxVHMG3kF8CD6fYqD0zwY-J6MqLb21nmFyRpE4w/viewform)
> 
> [Reblog on tumblr](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com/post/172928451263/beginning-middle-and-end)
> 
> Tumblr: [catrinasl](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com)
> 
> Twitter: [@Catrina_SL](http://twitter.com/Catrina_SL)


End file.
